Everything Bagel Dip is Everything

This is it. This is the dip YOU NEED for your fall get togethers. Everything Bagel Dip. It's four ingredients. It goes with chips, veggies, crackers, pita. Whatever your heart desires.

And you can make it ahead. Which always is a pro for yours truly, the ultimate prepper.

Healthy Everything Bagel Dip

From runninginaskirt.com

Makes 4 servings

8 ounces whipped cream cheese

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 tsp. onion powder

2 Tbsp. everything bagel seasoning, plus extra for topping

1. Carefully fold together all ingredients. Put in a bowl and top with extra everything bagel seasoning.

2. Serve with bagel chips, pretzels, carrots or other crisp veggies.

Fish and Chips at Home

Bust out a Guinness and pull up a bar stool, lads and lassies. Today is all about the ultimate pub food: Fish and Chips.

With some smart planning, you can enjoy Fish and Chips right at home.  My version is baked, not fried, so it is not so heavy. I also make my dipping sauce with yogurt. So, it's not a heavy mayo-based tartar sauce. Just two tablespoons of mayo is all you need!

I advise cooking this in the order in which I am presenting the recipes. Make the cabbage slaw first. You can even make it the day ahead. It needs to marinate for at least six hours. Next, make the dipping sauce and set it in the refrigerator to chill. Third, bake the chips. Raise the temp of the oven then bake the fish. You can cover the chips with aluminum to keep them nice and warm for when it's time to eat.

I used cod, but you could also use tilapia.

My family loves this Fish and Chips, and it's so much fun to make at home. It's like you're up in the pub at your very own kitchen table.

Red Cabbage Slaw
Makes 4-6 side dish servings

1 10-14 ounce bag of red cabbage slaw
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 Tbsp. canola oil
Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium bowl, whisk together garlic powder, onion powder, sugar, wine vinegar, canola oil, salt and pepper. Add red cabbage. Toss to coat. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight. You may toss the cabbage during the marinating time to redistribute the dressing. Serve chilled.

Dipping sauce:
1 pint greek yogurt
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 tsp. dijon
2 Tbsp. horseradish
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of half a lemon
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Chips:
(Makes 6 to 8 side dish servings)
4-5 russet potatoes, sliced into 1/8-inch thick wedges
1 Tbsp. Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Fresh parsley to garnish

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place potato wedges on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat all the wedges.

Place in hot oven for 20 minutes. Flip tray. Cook for 10-15 minutes more. Potatoes should be crispy and cooked through.

Serve with: Malt vinegar or ketchup

Fish:
(Makes 6 main dish servings)

2 pounds cod, cut into 2-inch by 5-inch sticks or as close to this as you can get, patted dry with towels
2 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup flour
3 eggs
2 tsp. cajun seasoning
Nonstick cooking spray
Salt and pepper to taste

Cover a baking sheet with aluminum. Lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Line up three medium bowls. In the first bowl, add flour. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

In the second bowl, add eggs.  Lightly whisk.

In the third bowl, add panko bread crumbs, cajun seasoning and salt and pepper.

Dredge each fish stick in the flour, then eggs, then panko. Line up on baking sheet. Repeat to prepare all fish sticks.

Bake for 8 minutes. Rotate pan. Bake 7 minutes more or until fish is cooked through and panko is crispy.

Please note: You may garnish your fish and chips with chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley. In addition to the dipping sauce, serve with lemon wedges, malt vinegar, ketchup or hot sauce if desired.

Crowd-Pleasing Baked Artichoke-Spinach Dip

Here's an oldie but goodie: Baked Artichoke-Spinach Dip straight from the pages of the red-and-white-checkered Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook.

Every year I do a cookbook purge. But the BHG always makes the cut. Sometimes those classic recipes from yesteryear are just what we need.

This is a great dip for holiday parties, birthday parties, family get togethers and sports gathering. My crowd always loves it!

Be sure to drain your artichoke in the colander pressing into them gently with a spoon. This makes the dip less watery.

You can totally make this the day before and bake the day of your event. Just be sure to go with the longer baking time of 25 minutes.

Serve this dip with pita chips, crackers, crusty bread or tortilla chips.

Baked Artichoke-Spinach Dip
Makes about 3 cups dip
From "The Better Homes and Garden Cookbook"

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup dairy sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 to 2 tsp. Dijon-style mustard
Dash white pepper (The Jersey Girl uses regular black pepper)
1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
1 cup loosely packed, coarsely chopped baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion (1 medium)

1. In a large bowl, combine mozzarella cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, mustard and pepper. Stir in artichoke hearts, spinach and onion. Spread mixture evenly into a 9-inch pie plate. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.

2. Bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes or until heated through. Serve with pita wedges, French bread, and/or crackers.

Make-ahead directions: Prepare as above through step 1. Cover and chill for up to 24 hours. Uncover and bake about 25 minutes or until heated through.

Green Goddess Crudite

Holiday and party season is just around the corner, and we always need a good dip and crudité situation for happy hour, no?

Well, that's what I tell myself. Bright, colorful veggies liven up any get together, in my opinion.

So I'm giving you this Basil Green Goddess Dressing recipe. Whenever I make I, the young and old rave about its loveliness. So, get on it! I like this because it truly is a salad dressing recipe so it doesn't feel overtly heavy  as a dip. It's a thinner consistency, which I love.

It's a Barefoot Contessa recipe, so you know it's amazing. Serve with whatever veggies you like. My fam usually grooves on peppers, carrots, cucumbers, grape tomatoes, scallions and celery.

Basil Green Goddess Dressing
From "Barefoot Contessa at Home"
By Ina Garten 

1 cup good mayonnaise
1 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts (6 to 7 scallions)
1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
2 tsp. chopped garlic (2 cloves)
2 tsp. anchovy paste
1 cup sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Place the mayonnaise, scallions, basil, lemon juice, garlic, anchovy paste, salt and pepper in a blender and blend until smooth. Add the sour cream and process just until blended. (If not using immediately, refrigerate the dressing until ready to serve.)

Serve with your favorite cut-up veggies such as carrots, celery, cucumbers, bell peppers, radishes, broccoli, scallions, etc.

Crackalicious Onion Dip

I'm just gonna tell you straight away: Get  your extra crunches in. Exercise at least an hour every day. Drink a vat of detox water. And eat as much as your heart desires of this insane in the membrane Pan-Fried Onion Dip.

Seriously. OMG. Seriously.

I don't even like chips.

Or onion dip.

I mean skeeve.

But the next time you have a party. Make this.

I'm sure you're like: Bitch, please. Where was this two weeks ago for the freakin' Super Bowl?

Yeah. I know I suck. Maybe you can get it in for those riveting World Cup qualifier games. Or March Madness. That's big, right? Right?!

So the ratio of real onions to the trifecta of  totally fattening clog-your-artery ingredients - mayo, cream cheese, sour cream  - is like 3 to 1. I believe. I told myself. I really don't know. But whatever. That's what it looked like. And, oh right: You cook the onions in vegetable oil AND four tablespoons of butter. But, I mean who's counting?

This is a Barefoot Contessa recipe. So you know it's good. And she does not give a flying fig if this dip is healthy. And well, it's not!

This is more time consuming than opening a packet of tan chemicals labeled Onion Dip Mix and dumping it into a container of sour cream. But it so worth it. Your guests will love. Trust.

Pan-Fried Onion Dip

From the Barefoot Contessa Cookbook
By Ina Garten

2 large yellow onions.
4 tablespoons unsalted butter.
1/4 cup vegetable oil.
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper.
1 teaspoon kosher salt.
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature.
1/2 cup sour cream.
1/2 cup good mayonaisse

Cut the onions in half and then slice them into 1/8-inch thick half-rounds. (You will have about 3 cups of onions.) Heat the butter and oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions, cayenne, salt, and pepper and saute for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 more minutes until the onions are browned and caramelized. Allow the onions to cool.

Place the cream cheese, sour cream and mayonnaise in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until smooth. Add the onions and mix well. Taste for seasonings. Serve at room temperature.

Dippy Trip

This is not the glammest of recipes to kick off the revitalization of the most amazing food blog to ever hit the blogosphere. But it will do. Especially since the Super Bowl is right around the corner. And you so need a rockin dip to serve to your gaggles of guests  - or your husband and kid since it is a school night. Let’s be real.

This 1-2-3 Mexican Dip is sans avocado and/or guac. I know. I’m so 1987. Avocado is only like THE super food of the decade. But you see,  avocado would force the Jersey Girl to haul her ass to an ER stat due to the food allergies that exist in my world. I think anaphylactic shock would be a MAJOR buzz kill in the midst of a football party, no?

This dip recipe was gifted to me in the form of a wedding present from my big sis Michele. She gave me a cookbook entitled: "Bride and Groom First and Forever Cookbook" as part of my bridal shower extravaganza, during which I was a nervous wreck, needing to throw up for hours and hyperventilating in the bathroom during it. Good times. I handle attention so well. Obvi.

Nonetheless, this cookbook has been a lasting addition to my collection.

There is no way in hell that this recipe is good for you or your diet. But if you are forced to watch football, I say, “Who the eff cares?”  And I say this while gazing lovingly into a gigantic glass of wine and shopping for shoes online trying to block out all NFL commentary, action, timeouts or shenanigans.

When you make this for a party you will not have a drop left. Trust.

Enjoy!

1-2-3 Mexican Dip

By: Mary Corpening Barber and Sara Corpening Whiteford

From "Bride and Groom First and Forever Cookbook"

Serves 10 to 12

1 can (16 ounces) refried beans

1 ½ medium salsa

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

¾ tsp. ground oregano

¾ cup sour cream

½ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup finely chopped red onion

1/3 cup fresh cilantro

1 tsp. onion powder

1 small red pepper, seeded, deribbed and chopped

1 cup (2 ounces) grated extra-sharp cheddar cheese

1 fresh jalapeno chile, cut into rounds (about 20)

Tortilla chips for serving

Combine the refried beans, ¼ cup of the salsa, the chili powder, cumin and oregano in a medium bowl. Spread evenly over the bottom of a 9-inch round ceramic casserole dish (at least 2 inches deep) or an 8-by-8-by-2 ¼ -inch glass baking dish.

Combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, red onion, cilantro and onion powder in a small bowl. Spread over the beans mixture.

Combine the bell pepper and the remaining 1 ¼ cups salsa in a small bowl. Gently spread over the sour cream mixture, being careful to not mix the layers. Top with the cheese and jalapeno and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour. Serve with tortilla chips.

Do Ahead: This dip can be made 1 day in advance and refrigerated.

Dippy Trippy

Summer is the time to rock it out in a bikini on the beach, but truth be told, the Jersey Girl doesn't always feel so svelte come August. There are many reasons for this perception of unhealthiness: Copious amounts of wine being consumed; parties, parties and more parties; lazy days spent lounging around (ha ha ha ha); and really, the chips and the dips. Oh, the chips and the dips.

So, I'm bringing you a fab dip starring feta and lemon that requires no mayo and no sour cream. Yay and yay! In addition, as agreed upon by The Jersey Girl and her trusty sisters and brothers-in-law, the dip is the perfect match for your fave vegetables in stick-and-dip form as opposed to salty, fatty chips. Super yay! Now that second bottle of wine doesn't seem THAT bad.

This is one of my Pinterest finds. Hopefully, on one of my late nights perusing the Interwebs, I will figure out how to rock a Pinterest button onto my posts. A technological mastermind, I am not.

The Lemon Feta Dip was snagged from the blog called One Ordinary Day. You should totally check it out!

And just for some awesome visuals, I will give you a glimpse or two of my Big Boy Evan. He is so no longer a baby. Eep! I can't believe summer is almost finito!

Now, this is a crudite platter that will totally get devoured! Holla.

Lemon Feta Dip

(from Sweet Paul)

8oz feta cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 clove garlic, chopped
6 tablespoons olive oil+ extra for serving
fresh thyme

Place feta, lemon zest and juice, garlic and olive oil in a blender and blend until smooth.
Spoon into a bowl and drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with thyme.
Serve with grilled tomatoes and grilled pita bread drizzled with olive oil, salt and thyme.

Please note: The Jersey Girl served the dip with fresh vegetables including broccoli florets,  red bell peppers, cucumber slices, grape tomatoes and celery sticks.

Here's my happy, healthy Evan. Love him!

Party like a Vegetarian

Throwing a soiree but need a dish for the token vegetarian in the house?

Why not give Giada's white bean dip and homemade pita chips a whirl?

I mean, really. What do you have to lose?

You know you're considering a crudite with some dip that NOBODY will eat. Girl, please.

And you can make the dip part ahead and it requires like four ingredients: cannellini, lemon juice, parsley and garlic. And some olive oil, salt and peps, natch.

Sure, you can buy a bag of pita chips, but these homemade chips are fantabulous. So worth the effort. Just toss with olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper and voila. Delish chips in a few minutes after a bake in the oven.

Yay.

Now, please don't misinterpret The Jersey Girl. Carnivores and herbivores alike will devour your non-meaty dip, trust. In fact, my main squeeze The Husband, known to house a brontosaurus or two, frequently makes a kind request that I whip this dish up when we're throwing a shin-dig. It's also fantastic to make when you receive an impromptu invite to a gathering. Why is that? Because I ALWAYS have a can o' beans in the pantry.

I often serve the dip with some fresh carrots or bell peppers in addition to the pita chips. Delish.

My one piece of advice when making this is to set your timer for about 6 minutes on the pita chips. Check them, and then put them back in for a few minutes if need be. I feel like the time allotment in the recipe could possibly lead to burnt chips. 

• White Bean Dip with Pita Chips
• From "Everyday Italian"
• By Giada De Laurentiis

• 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

• 2 cloves garlic

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• 1/3 cup olive oil, plus 4 tablespoons

• 1/4 cup (loosely packed) fresh Italian parsley leaves

• Salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 6 pitas

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

• Place the beans, garlic, lemon juice, 1/3 cup olive oil, and parsley in the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the

• mixture is coarsely chopped. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer the bean puree to a small bowl.

• Cut each pita in half and then into 8 wedges. Arrange the pita wedges on a large baking sheet. Pour the remaining oil over the pitas. Toss and spread out the wedges evenly. Sprinkle with the oregano, salt, and pepper. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, or until toasted and golden in color.

Serve the pita toasts warm or at room temperature alongside the bean puree.